GET FELTED - Day 20

*** GUEST PETS: We have Cate Fitt to thank for those delightful costumed canines: "Dogwood (Scottish Deerhound), Moose (Whippet) & Oscar (Scottish Deerhound) in bug costume."

I guess now I can admit that I used to dress my dog in doll clothes when I was in my early teens. Poor Suzi was a toy poodle puppy with a marked penchant for couture and a soft spot for her crazy companion who liked to photograph her in baby bonnets and ruffled diapers. Was I doing my Queens version of William Wegman and Man Ray before they even started? It would be nice to think so but the likely truth is just that I might have been temporarily insane. I found some of the photos but so far don't have the courage to post them. (Or maybe I'm saving your sensibilities. You don't really need to see proof, do you?)

Cate, your outfits are theatrical and beautiful. Bravo to the stalwart, handsome dogs who wear them so well!***

I don't know why it is, but lately every new knitting project requires at least three false starts. I wound together two balls of an earthy black/mahogany/caramel/light gold 6 ply sock yarn that I thought would make great spirals for a friend. I tried 48 stitches on #2US. It was stiff enough to use as a backdrop at a batting cage. I tried 48 stitches on #3US. Way too big. I moved down to 40 stitches on #3US. I liked it, didn't love it, but was quickly tiring of the project and decided to move forward. I made it through 4" of cuff, saw a dropped stitch, discovered it was one strand of a two-strand dropped stitch, got disgusted, frogged the project then started again. This time I made it past the 4" of cuff, through 2" of leg, found another one-strand dropped stitch, got even more disgusted, then frogged the whole thing again. Today I cast on 40 stitches on #3US in a plain old cuff-down K2P2 rib sock and so far, so good.

I don't know why I'm so stubborn. I'm still determined to finish the stinking red spiral socks and now can add the black/mahogany/caramel/light gold 6 ply to my finish-or-die list. Where are the fun projects? Why can't I let go? God knows I had no trouble ditching the sickening Lucy Liu in Berroco Zen last summer. (Okay, so I finished the entire back before I was able to admit how much I detested the yarn, the pattern, everything about it, but I did ditch it forever.) (I also discovered that I despise knitting with ribbon yarn.) I'm not sure if this is a good personality trait or a sign that there's something deeply wrong with me but I have the bit (knitting needle?) between my teeth and I'm going to finish these projects or die trying.

Either that or I'm off to find a therapist who understands knitters . . .